Clarksville Recycling Center Closed
by Stephanie Baker
The city of Clarksville Recycle Center is closed until further notice, according to a sign at the center’s now barricaded entrance.
On Monday, June 30, hours were changed from self-service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and closed on weekends and holidays. The new hours were posted on site and on the center’s webpage. Large piles of recyclable items and trash lined the center’s locked gates over the July 4 holiday weekend, followed by its closure on Monday, July 7.
The center, located at 1410 Oakland Street, offered a free service of collecting a variety of materials including glass and plastic to be recycled.
Statement from Clarksville Mayor David Rieder
“Over the past several weeks, we’ve witnessed a serious and unacceptable misuse of our recycling facility. When people leave behind buckets of human waste, bags of rotted meat, broken furniture, and piles of household garbage over the weekend, we are no longer recycling – we’ve effectively become a trash transfer site. That is not the purpose of this facility, and Johnson County already has a location for that type of disposal.
“Let me be clear: this is not the result of one bad actor. It’s coming from multiple individuals, and we have it all on camera. So please, don’t argue. This is a community-wide issue, and as a community, we just do better. Period.
“The facility will reopen in the future – but when it does, it will be staffed and used only for its intended purpose: recycling. We will not continue putting our employees at risk by exposing them to hazardous materials and unsanitary conditions.
“To make this happen, we will be adjusting our internal procedures and reallocating funds from other departments to support a properly monitored and maintained recycling operation.
“This is about protecting public health, preserving our environment, and respecting the purpose of a community resource. We expect and appreciate your cooperation moving forward.”
This story appears in the July 9 edition of The Graphic, found online and in businesses throughout Johnson and Franklin counties.
